The whole Star Trek: The Next Generation gang just might be getting back together. Speaking to TrekMovie, Gates McFadden revealed that while she has yet to sign a contract, “there’s a good chance” she could be reprising her role as Beverly Crusher for season 2 of Star Trek: Picard.
“I hate to ever say anything because then I think it kind of jinxes stuff in a way,” she told the publication, with regards to a possible direction for her character. “But I think she definitely would be somebody who was very engaged in the world and trying to make it a better place. I would not see her as somebody retiring. And you know—she obviously raised a kid while she was a full-on command officer, so I think the sky’s the limit in terms of what her life could be.”
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As for whether this means Crusher and Picard would be rekindling their relationship, that’s very much up in the air. “Obviously, from our all of our scenes, there is a relationship and that’s great,” McFadden added to TrekMovie. “So who knows? I have no clue, but it would be lovely.”
Should Crusher make a come-back, the actress would be the sixth The Next Generation star to possibly reprise her role for Picard’s second season. In January, Patrick Stewart went on The View to invite back Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan, and two months later, Brent Spiner said he would love to return as Dr. Altan Inigo Soong. Then, in April, LeVar Burton all but confirmed that he would be coming back as Geordi LaForge. In June, Jonathan Frakes told the TrekGeeks podcast, per TrekMovie, that he would be interested in returning as Riker, with Marina Sirtis also telling TrekMovie that she hoped to come back as Deanna Troi.
There’s no word yet on a release date for Picard season 2.
Q!
@1 Ha that was my first thought for my own biased reasons but Crusher was definitely missed from the first season.
Then again if they do bring Q back I hope it’s a surprise.
@2,
Personally, I’d prefer Q not pop up in Season Two or the remainder of the show.
I mean, yeah, I want to see DeLancie and Stewart playing off each other again as much as anyone. But I think the 24th Century productions took Q as far as they could and I don’t know what else you could do with him. Likewise, Q and Picard’s final scene together in “All Good Things” was such a perfect sendoff to their relationship; I say leave it be.
Crusher, on the other hand, I’m much more in favor of reappearing. She arguably was the least developed of the main TNG characters. It’d give Gates McFadden a great opportunity to play an older, different version of Crusher that wasn’t possible in the TNG days.
Her relationship with Picard was never really satisfactorily resolved in Season 7 or by the films, so there’s a chance to give that closure, too.
@2
Good luck with it being a surprise if Tor keeps putting these surprises right on the front friggin’ page.
Casting news are usually plastered all over the trade papers.
And it’d be ridiculous for Tor.com to ignore them.
It’d have to be VERY well hidden (which doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen….see Ezra Miller’s appearance on CRISIS…..)
I would be shocked if Beverly didn’t appear on Picard so I don’t think spoilers really matter in that regard. I’m more concerned with/excited about the manner in which her character will be integrated into the story as well as developed since it’s way overdue for her. She had a few shining moments on TNG but still seemed kind of neglected and the films sadly almost completely ignored her except for a few token scenes. I think it would be cool if, in pretty much a fulfillment of the alternate future reality shown in “All Good Things”, that Jean-Luc and Beverly did get married and then divorced, and that she is commanding a hospital ship on relief missions for Romulan refugees. And also show her happily married to someone else now: perhaps the Trill Odan in a female host. Lol.
I really would love to see Doctor Crusher show up as Captain of a Federation Starship – it would be an interesting variation on their previous dynamic for Captain Crusher to deal with a Picard currently roaming the Galaxy in a private capacity (Also, I would be genuinely interested in learning how a Starfleet hospital ship works; it strikes me that the adventures of such a vessel might offer a wealth of storytelling potential, even to the the extent of supporting a whole series).
Yeah, I hope we see DJ Crusher on the decks, spinning those feel good dance hits 24/7 365, MC at a perpetual dance party orbiting a collapsed neutron star. Providing that funky sexy groove for all the boys girls non binary and miscellaneous party entities cruising that silky milky way. Feels on brand for this show.